1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting means for a cutting blade of a food-cutting apparatus for solid foods such as an ice block, frozen fruits and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An outlne of a typical food-cutting apparatus to which a mounting means for a cutting blade according to the present invention is applied is shown in FIG. 1, the detail of which apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent application No. 33994/1984 filed Feb. 24, 1984 by an assignee of the present application, and will briefly be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings in which like reference characters or numerals designates like parts, in which: the numeral 1 designates an upper frame; 2 designates a boss provided in a central portion of a back surface of the frame 1; 3 designates a cylindrical shaft housing; 4 designates a rotary shaft; 5 designates a pulley fixed to a lower end of the rotary shaft 4; 6 designates a supporting arm; 7 designates a driving electric motor; 8 designates a pulley mounted on a shaft of the electric motor 7; 9 designates a belt running under tension round the pulleys 5 and 8; 11 designates a cutting plate; 12 designates an opening provided in the cutting plate 11; 13 designates a cutting blade provided so as to protrude its front tip from the opening 12; 15 designates a transfer rotor; 16 designates a boss; 17 designates a bush; 18 designates a nut; 20 designates a hopper; 21 designates an anti-scatter cover disposed over the hopper 20; 22 designates a head cover disposed above the anti-scatter cover 21; 23 designates an opening provided at a top portion of the head cover 22; 24 designates a lid for covering the opening 23; 26 designates a safety switch; 27 designates a main switch; 28 designates a discharge chute; and 29 designates a cover.
The above-mentioned food-cutting apparatas is so constructed that, when its food-cutting operation is finished, it is possible to wash out a residue of cut foods adhered to the transfer rotor 15 and the cutting plate 11 by opening the lid 24, removing in turn the head cover 22 and the anti-scatter cover 21, and then dismounting the transfer rotor 15 and the cutting plate 11 from the frame 1.
On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows a conventional mounting means 32 for the cutting blade 13, with the use of which mounting means 32 the cutting blade 13 is mounted on the food-cutting apparatus. Namely, the supporting plate 34 is fixed to a back surface of the cutting plate 11 near the opening 12 through mounts 33 by means of bolts 35, and a pair of arms 36 are provided on a reverse side surface of the supporting plate 34 with respect to the cutting plate 11, a supporting rod 37 is interposed and axially supported between the front ends of the arms 36. The supporting rod 37 is interposed in a metal boss portion 39 of a mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13. The cutting blade is fixed to a front bent portion of the plate 38 by means of bolts 40. Another bolt 42 is so provided that a threaded front portion thereof engages with a female screw ( not shown ) of an adjusting knob 45 through an opening 43 provided in a rear portion of the mounting plate 38 to adjust a protruding amount of the front tip of the cutting blade 13 from the opening 12 by rotating the adjusting knob 45 to slightly rotate the mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 around the supporting rod 37 acting as a center for the rotation. The reference numeral 46 designates a spring interposed between the supporting plate 34 and the mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 around the bolt 42.
It is possible to dismount the thus constructed conventional mounting means 32 for the cutting blade 13 together with the cutting plate 11 when the cutting plate 11 is dismounted in the above-mentioned manner. After that, though it is preferable to wash out adhered substances such as fruit juices, dust and the like adhered to the opposite inner surfaces of the mounting plate 38 for the cutting blade 13 and the supporting plate 34 after both of these members 38, 34 are disassembled. It is not possible to disassemble these two members 38, 34 due to a construction of the supporting rod 37 interposed and axially supported between the pair of arms 36. This leads to an incomplete wash-out of the substances adhered to both of the members 38, 34 causing unsanitary conditions for foods in the conventional food-cutting apparatus.